Plasma processing apparatus and plasma processing method

ABSTRACT

A plasma processing apparatus or a plasma processing method that processes a wafer to be processed, which is placed on a surface of a sample stage arranged in a processing chamber inside a vacuum container, using a plasma formed in the processing chamber, the apparatus or method including processing the wafer by adjusting a first high-frequency power to be supplied to a first electrode arranged inside the sample stage and a second high-frequency power to be supplied, via a resonant circuit, to a second electrode which is arranged in an inner side of a ring-shaped member made of a dielectric arranged on an outer peripheral side of a surface of the sample stage on which the wafer is placed, during the processing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a plasma processing apparatus or aplasma processing method that processes a substrate-like sample such asa semiconductor wafer, which is placed and held on a sample stagearranged in a processing chamber inside a vacuum container, using aplasma of the processing chamber, and particularly to a plasmaprocessing apparatus or a plasma processing method, that supplieshigh-frequency power to a sample stage during processing to form a biaspotential above an upper surface of the sample, and processes thesample.

2. Description of the Related Art

In general, a technique of etching a film layer, which includes a maskformed in advance on an upper surface of a sample such as asemiconductor wafer, of a processing target having a film structure withplurality of the film layers using a plasma has been performed in aprocess of manufacturing a semiconductor device as a technique offorming a circuit of the device or a structure of a wiring. Recently,there has been a demand not only for further enhancement of accuracy insuch processing using the plasma, but also for reduction of a region,which is a part on an outer peripheral side of the wafer and in which avariation in the processing is out of a tolerance range, so as to reducethe variation with respect to a center side of the processed resultaccording to the processing of even a part on the further outerperipheral side of the wafer, to further increase the number of thedevices that can be manufactured for each single wafer, and to enableenhancement of efficiency of the processing along with enhancement of adegree of integration of the semiconductor device.

In general, such a plasma processing apparatus is provided with a vacuumcontainer, a processing chamber, which is arranged in the vacuumcontainer and in which a sample is arranged and a plasma is formed indepressurized interior space, and a vacuum evacuation device whichevacuates an inside of the processing chamber to be at pressure with apredetermined degree of vacuum suitable for processing. Further, theplasma processing apparatus is provided with a gas supply device, whichis connected to the vacuum container or the vacuum processing chamberand supplies gas for processing the sample in the processing chamber, asample stage having an upper surface on which the wafer as a material tobe processed is placed and held, a plasma generation device whichsupplies an electric field or a magnetic field for generation of theplasma in the processing chamber into the processing chamber, and thelike.

A technique that causes intensity of an electric field, formed above anupper surface of a wafer from a part on a center side to a part on anouter periphery side of the wafer, or distribution thereof to be moreuniformly approximated has been considered in order to reduce a regionin which a characteristic of processing such as processing speed and ashape after the processing as a result thereof are varied between thecenter-side part to the part on the outer peripheral side of the wafer,for example, speed (rate) of an etching process is changed. That is, theabove-described change in the etching rate in the part on the outerperipheral side of the wafer appears such that the rate increases whenthe concentration of the electric field is generated in the region onthe outer peripheral side of the wafer, and the distribution of apotential or a charged particle of the plasma is lopsided, and thus, itis possible to implement the more uniform processing even to the part onthe outer peripheral side of the wafer by suppressing such concentrationof the electric field. In order to this, it is effective to adjust theintensity of the electric field, to be formed in a region surroundingthe perimeter of the part on the outer peripheral side of the wafer andthe distribution thereof, and to set a thickness of a sheath to beformed above the upper surface of the wafer to be more uniformlyapproximated even to the part on the outer peripheral side in anin-plane direction of the wafer, and particularly, in a radialdirection.

A technique, as disclosed in JP-2007-258417-A (Patent Literature 1), ofperforming control of an electric field between an outer peripheral edgeand a region in a vicinity thereof of a wafer during being etched byapplying a DC voltage to a focus ring which is a member havingconductivity and is arranged to surround the wafer on the outerperipheral side thereof, has been known as a conventional technique ofsuch a plasma processing apparatus. In this conventional technique, a DCvoltage value is changed so as to maintain an initial performancedepending on the amount of wear of the focus ring caused when the focusring, which has an upper surface facing a plasma, is abraded due to aninteraction with the plasma.

In addition, a configuration, which is provided with a conductor ringarranged on an outer peripheral side on a wafer placement surface of asample stage to surround a wafer and a dielectric ring cover covering anupper surface of the ring from above the ring, and supplieshigh-frequency power to the conductor ring while preventing electricalcombination with a plasma formed above the ring cover inside aprocessing chamber, has been disclosed as illustrated inJP-2012-227278-A (Patent Literature 2). Further, this conventionaltechnique also includes a configuration of reducing a variation inheight of a bias equipotential surface to be formed above the wafer andthe conductor ring, and in angle at which a charged particle of theplasma is incident onto the wafer in a range from a center side to theouter peripheral side of the wafer by setting a height of the conductorring to be higher than a height of the wafer or an upper surface of thesame stage on which the wafer is placed, and accordingly, reducing thevariation in the processed shape as a result of the processing.

In addition, JP-2011-9351-A (Patent Literature 3) discloses a techniqueof adjusting the amount of high-frequency electric power for formationof a bias potential to be applied to a conductive focus ring, which isarranged to surround a wafer on an outer peripheral side of a samplestage, according to a wear amount of the focus ring.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

However, the above-described conventional techniques still have theproblems as the consideration for the following points is insufficient.

That is, the inventors has found out that all the above-describedtechniques can be employed only for a limited application and have alimit in improvement of performance although showing a certain degree ofeffects for improvement of the uniformity on the outer peripheralportion of the wafer as a result of study.

In JP-2007-258417-A, an upper surface of the conductor ring, which isarranged on the outer peripheral side of a surface of the sample stagewith the wafer being placed thereon and to which a DC power is applied,is exposed to a space inside the processing chamber on an upper side soas to allow the plasma formed above the upper surface and the DC powerto be combined. In such a configuration, wear such as abrasion of theconductor ring progresses or the material is altered due to interactionwith the plasma, for example, collision of charged particles inside theplasma with the upper surface of the conductor. In a case in which it isconfigured such that the upper surface of the conductor ring is coatedwith a member made of the dielectric or an insulator as described inJP-2012-227278-A in order to suppress the above-described problem, theDC power is hardly combined with the plasma, and accordingly, theadjustment of intensity of an electric field or distribution thereof inthe part on the outer peripheral side of the wafer or on the upper sideof the ring using the ring becomes difficult.

In addition, JP-2012-227278-A is provided with a configuration in whichthe conductor ring arranged on the outer peripheral side of the waferplacement surface of the sample stage is placed on a step (recessedportion) arranged on the outer peripheral side of the placement surfaceof a base material which is arranged inside the sample stage on a lowerside of the placement surface and is an electrode made of metal, andaccordingly, high-frequency power for formation of a bias potential tobe supplied to the base material is distributed and supplied. However,because a configuration of suitably changing a voltage value to beformed on the upper side of the upper surface of the ring is notprovided in the above-described configuration, even when the biaspotential formed by the electrode on the lower side of the placementsurface is too great, the bias potential, on the upper side of theconductor ring arranged on the outer peripheral side of the wafer, ishardly adjusted in a suitable range and increases more than necessary.Thus, there is a risk that a degree of concentration of the electricfield increases in the part on the outer peripheral side of the wafer,the uniformity in characteristic of the processing is degraded, forexample, an etching rate locally increases and lopsided, andaccordingly, a yield of the processing drops.

In addition, JP-2011-9351-A describes a configuration in which adistributor is provided on a supply path of the high-frequency power forformation of the bias potential to be supplied to a base material as anelectrode inside the sample stage, and the high-frequency power, whichhas been adjusted and divided into a predetermined proportion by thedistributor, is supplied to the conductor ring which is arranged on theouter peripheral side of a wafer placement surface of the base materialand is surrounded by a cover made of an insulator. However, it has foundout that it is difficult to efficiently control the outer peripheralportion only with this configuration since the most of power of thehigh-frequency power is cut off by the insulator of the coversurrounding the conductor ring in this configuration.

In the above-described conventional techniques, there is noconsideration on the problem that it is difficult to adjust and supplythe high-frequency power to the conductor ring arranged on the outerperipheral side of the wafer so as to obtain a desired distribution ofthe electric field, and accordingly, the variation in characteristic ofthe processing in the part on the outer peripheral side of the waferwith respect to the center portion becomes great, thereby degrading theyield of the processing. An object of the present invention is toprovide a plasma processing apparatus or the plasma processing methodthat enhances the yield.

The above-described object is achieved by a plasma processing apparatusthat processes a wafer to be processed, which is placed on a surface ofa sample stage arranged in a processing chamber inside a vacuumcontainer, using a plasma formed in the processing chamber, the plasmaprocessing apparatus including: a first electrode, which is arrangedinside the sample stage and to which a first high-frequency power issupplied during the processing; a second electrode, which is arranged inan inner side of a ring-shaped member made of a dielectric arranged onan outer peripheral side of a surface of the sample stage on which thewafer is placed, and to which a second high-frequency power is suppliedvia a resonant circuit during the processing; and a control device whichadjusts the supply of the first and second high-frequency powers.

In addition, the above-described object is achieved by a plasmaprocessing method that processes a wafer to be processed, which isplaced on a surface of a sample stage arranged in a processing chamberinside a vacuum container, using a plasma formed in the processingchamber, the plasma processing method including processing the wafer byadjusting a first high-frequency power to be supplied to a firstelectrode arranged inside the sample stage and a second high-frequencypower to be supplied, via a resonant circuit, to a second electrodewhich is arranged in an inner side of a ring-shaped member made of adielectric arranged on an outer peripheral side of a surface of thesample stage on which the wafer is placed, during the processing.

According to the present invention, it is possible to form a seriesresonant structure with an insulating susceptor which is a capacitivecapacitor by providing a coil on a previous stage of a conductive ringto which a high frequency is applied, and accordingly impedance isdramatically reduced and the high frequency efficiently contributes on awafer edge.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically illustrating anoutline of a configuration of a plasma processing apparatus according toan embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically illustrating anoutline of a configuration of a modified example of the plasmaprocessing apparatus according to an embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically illustrating aconfiguration of a part on an outer peripheral side of a sample stageaccording to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 in an enlarged manner;

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically illustrating amodified example of the configuration of the part on the outerperipheral side of a sample stage according to the embodimentillustrated in FIG. 1 in an enlarged manner;

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically illustrating aconfiguration of an upper part of a susceptor according to theembodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 in an enlarged manner;

FIGS. 6A and 6B are vertical cross-sectional views schematicallyillustrating action of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5;

FIGS. 7A to 7C are vertical cross-sectional views schematicallyillustrating a configuration of a modified example of the upper part ofthe susceptor according to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5;

FIGS. 8A and 8B are graphs schematically illustrating distributionexamples of an etching rate with respect to a radial direction of anupper surface of a wafer according to the embodiment illustrated in FIG.5 and the conventional technique;

FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically illustrating aconfiguration of another modified example of the part on the outerperipheral side of the sample stage according to the embodimentillustrated in FIG. 1 in an enlarged manner;

FIGS. 10A to 100 are graphs illustrating detection results ofdistribution of the etching rate with respect to the radial direction ofthe wafer processed in the plasma processing apparatus according to theembodiment illustrated in FIG. 5 or FIGS. 6A and 6B;

FIGS. 11A and 11B are a vertical cross-sectional view schematicallyillustrating an outline of a configuration of the susceptor of theplasma processing apparatus according to the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 1 and a graph schematically illustrating an example of a data tableused by the plasma processing apparatus, respectively;

FIG. 12 is a graph schematically illustrating another example of thedata table used by the plasma processing apparatus according to theembodiment illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen to be displayedby a display device provided in the plasma processing apparatusaccording to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 14 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically illustrating anoutline of a configuration of another modified example regarding avicinity of the susceptor of the plasma processing apparatus accordingto the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 15 is a graph schematically illustrating a result to be obtained byincreasing or decreasing a resistance value of a variable resistanceinside a load impedance variable box 130 illustrated in FIG. 3; and

FIGS. 16A and 16B are vertical cross-sectional views schematicallyillustrating action to be exerted by the configuration of the embodimentillustrated in FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be describedwith reference to the drawings.

First Embodiment

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be describedwith reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectionalview schematically illustrating an outline of a configuration of aplasma processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the presentinvention. This example illustrates a microwave electron cyclotronresonance (ECR) plasma etching apparatus which etches a film as aprocessing target on an upper surface of a semiconductor wafer byforming a plasma to excite atoms or molecules of gas supplied in aprocessing chamber using a specific frequency of a microwave band as anelectric field for formation of a plasma in the processing chamber, andfurther supplying a magnetic field with intensity corresponding to thefrequency of the electric field in the processing chamber so as to allowECR to be generated by an interaction between the electric field and themagnetic field.

A plasma processing apparatus according to the present embodiment isprovided with a vacuum container 101 in which a processing chamber 104having a cylindrical shape is arranged, a plasma formation unit which isarranged on an upper side and an outer periphery of the vacuum container101 and supplies an electric field and a magnetic field for formation ofa plasma into the processing chamber 104 in the vacuum container 101,and a vacuum evacuation unit having a roughing vacuum pump such as aturbo-molecular pump and a rotary pump which is connected to a lowerside of the vacuum container 101 and evacuates an inside of theprocessing chamber 104. A dielectric window 103, which has a disc shapeand is made of, for example, quartz, is arranged in an upper part of theprocessing chamber 104 to hermetically partition an inside and anoutside of the processing chamber 104, and covers an upper side of theprocessing chamber 104, thereby forming a ceiling surface thereof.

A shower plate 102, made of a dielectric (for example, quartz), on whicha plurality of through-holes are arranged to introduce an etching gas isarranged in the processing chamber 104 on a lower side of the dielectricwindow 103. An approximately cylindrical space with a short height inwhich the supplied etching gas is diffused and filled is arrangedbetween the shower plate 102 and the dielectric window 103, and thespace is connected to a gas supply device 117 that supplies the etchinggas via a gas introduction tube path. In addition, a vacuum evacuationport 110 communicating with a lower part of the processing chamber 104is arranged on the lower side of the vacuum container 101, and a vacuumevacuation device which is the vacuum evacuation unit including theturbo-molecular pump (not illustrated) is connected to a lower side ofthe vacuum evacuation port 110.

A waveguide tube 105 to propagate the electric field to be introducedinto the processing chamber 104 is arranged, as a plasma formation unit,on an upper side of the dielectric window 103. The waveguide tube 105according to the present embodiment is roughly divided into two parts,and has a cylindrical tube portion which has an axis extending in avertically upward direction and has a circular cross-section on an upperside of the processing chamber 104, and a prismatic tube portion whichis connected to an upper end portion of the cylindrical tube portion,has an axis being oriented from the cylindrical portion and bent toextend in a horizontal direction and has a rectangular cross-section. Anelectric field generating power source 106 such as a magnetron whichoscillates and forms an electric field of microwave is arranged in anend portion of the prismatic tube portion, and the electric fieldoscillated and formed in the electric field generating power source 106is propagated through the waveguide tube 105, enters a cylindrical spacefor oscillation which is connected to a lower side of a lower endportion of the cylindrical tube portion, and is set to a predeterminedmode of the electric field, and then, transmits through the dielectricwindow 103 and is supplied into the processing chamber 104.

Although a frequency of an electromagnetic wave is not particularlylimited, a microwave of 2.45 GHz is used in the present embodiment.Further, a magnetic field generating coil 107, which is a solenoidalcoil for formation of the magnetic field to be supplied into theprocessing chamber 104, is arranged to surround an upper side and sidesof the processing chamber 104 on an outer peripheral side of theprocessing chamber 104 of the vacuum container 101. The electric fieldwhich has been propagated and introduced inside the processing chamber104 interacts with the magnetic field that has been formed in themagnetic field generating coil 107 and introduced inside the processingchamber 104 to excite particles of the etching gas, which has beensupplied similarly into the processing chamber 104, and accordingly, theplasma is generated in the processing chamber 104.

In addition, a sample stage 108 is arranged in a lower part inside theprocessing chamber 104. An upper surface of the sample stage 108 iscoated with a dielectric film which is a film made of a materialincluding a dielectric formed by thermal spraying, and a wafer 109,which is a substrate-like sample as a processing target, is placed andheld on an upper surface of the dielectric film. The placement surfaceto which the wafer 109 is placed opposes the dielectric window 103 orthe shower plate 102.

A conductor film 111 made of a conductor material is arranged inside thedielectric film, is connected with a DC power source 126 via ahigh-frequency filter 125, and is configured as a film-like electrode.Further, the sample stage 108 has an approximately cylindrical shape tobe arranged in accordance with an axis of the processing chamber 104,and a base material 131, which has a disc shape and made of metal, isarranged therein as an electrode to which a first high-frequency powersource 124 is electrically connected via a matching device 129.

A susceptor 113, which is a ring-shaped member made of a dielectric suchas quartz, is arranged on an outer peripheral side of a film (dielectricfilm) which is made of a dielectric, is arranged on an upper surface ofthe base material 131, and has a substantially circular shape inaccordance with a shape of the wafer 109. Thus, a height of the basematerial 131 is recessed to be low at a place on the outer peripheralside of the dielectric film, which is the placement surface of thesample stage 108, and is configured to be stepped from the upper surfaceof the dielectric film such that the susceptor 113 is placed in thering-shaped recessed portion configuring the step, and a upper surfaceand a side surface of the sample stage 108 are covered and protectedfrom the plasma.

In such a plasma processing apparatus 100, a vacuum container fortransport (not illustrated) is connected to a side surface of the vacuumcontainer 101 via a gate, and the unprocessed wafer 109, which is placedand held on an arm of a transport robot arranged inside the vacuumcontainer for transport (a vacuum transport container), passes throughthe gate and carried in the processing chamber 104. The wafer 109transported inside the processing chamber 104 is handed over from thearm to the sample stage 108, and is placed on the dielectric filmconfiguring the upper surface of the sample stage 108. Thereafter, thewafer 109 is adsorbed and held on the dielectric film by anelectrostatic force which is formed between the wafer 109 and theconductor film 111 when the DC voltage is supplied to the conductor film111 from the DC power source 126.

Incidentally, the processing chamber 104 is hermetically blocked withrespect to the vacuum transport container by a gate valve, which opensand closes the gate (not illustrated) at the time of processing, and aninside thereof is sealed. Thereafter, the vacuum evacuation device 108is driven when the etching gas is introduced into the processing chamber104 from the shower plate 102, and the interior pressure of theprocessing chamber 104 is maintained at a predetermined pressureaccording to a balance between a supply rate and an evacuation rate ofthe gas. In this state, a plasma 116 is formed in the processing chamber104 by an interaction between the electric field and the magnetic fieldsupplied from the plasma formation unit.

When the plasma 116 is formed in the processing chamber 104 on the upperside of the sample stage 108, the high-frequency power is supplied tothe base material 131 from the high-frequency power source 124 connectedto the base material 131 in the sample stage 108, and a bias potentialis formed on the dielectric film and the wafer 109 on the upper surfaceof the sample stage 108. When the charged particle such as ions in theplasma 116 are attracted toward the upper surface of the wafer 109 dueto a potential difference between the bias potential and the plasma 116and collide with a top surface having a film structure which has beenformed in advance on the upper surface of the wafer 109, the film layeras the processing target having the film structure, arranged on theupper surface of the wafer 109 and configured to form a circuit of asemiconductor device, is etched.

Incidentally, gas for promotion of heat transfer such as helium isintroduced into a portion between a rear surface of the wafer 109 andthe upper surface of the dielectric film of the sample stage 108 whilethe etching process is performed, although not illustrated, and promotesheat exchange with a coolant flow path which is arranged inside the basematerial 131 of the sample stage 108 and in which a coolant for coolingflows, and accordingly, the temperature of the wafer 109 is adjusted toa value in a range suitable for the processing. In addition, the etchinggas and a reaction product generated by the etching are evacuated fromthe vacuum evacuation port 110 which is arranged on a bottom portion ofthe vacuum container 101 and communicates with the lower part of theprocessing chamber 104 and a vacuum pump inlet of the vacuum evacuationdevice.

When a predetermined etching process on the film structure of the uppersurface of the wafer 109 ends, the supply of the high-frequency powerfrom the high-frequency power source 124 is stopped, the supply of powerfor the adsorption from the DC power source 126 is stopped, and thestatic electricity is removed. Then, the wafer 109 is raised to theupper side of the sample stage 108, and handed over to the arm of thetransport robot, which has passed through the gate opened by the gatevalve and entered the processing chamber 104, and then, the unprocessedwafer 109 is carried to the upper side of the sample stage 108 again.Thereafter, the unprocessed wafer 109 is placed on the upper side of thesample stage 108 and the processing of the wafer 109 is initiated. Inthe case of absence of the unprocessed wafer 109 that needs to beprocessed, an operation of the plasma processing apparatus 100 for thewafer processing ends, and deactivation or an operation for maintenanceis performed.

In addition, it may be configured such that a heater (not illustrated)is arranged in an inner side of the base material 131 having acylindrical shape of the sample stage 108 or the dielectric film havinga disc or circular shape such that the wafer 109 placed on the samplestage 108 or the upper side of the upper surface of the dielectric filmcan be heated to the temperature suitable for the processing. Inaddition, a coolant flow path, which is concentrically or helicallyarranged around the center of the base material 131 and in which a heattransfer medium (coolant) with temperature being set to a value in arange of predetermined values by a temperature adjustment device (notillustrated), is arranged inside the base material 131 in order toreduce or suppress the increase in temperature of the wafer 109 to beheated by the heater or by being exposed to the plasma 116 during theprocessing.

A temperature sensor (not illustrated), configured to detect temperatureof the base material 131 or the sample stage for the temperatureadjustment, a plurality of pins to be lowered to allow the wafer 109 tobe spaced apart to the upper side of the dielectric film or to place thewafer on the upper surface of the film, and a position sensor of thepin, a connector on a power supply path to the conductor film 111 andthe base material 131, and the like are arranged inside the basematerial 131 of the sample stage 108, and there is a concern that thosemembers malfunction under the environment with great electrical noise.In addition, there is a concern that the coolant also tinged with thestatic electricity under the environment with the electrical noise. Inthe present embodiment, the base material 131 is electrically connectedto the ground 112 as illustrated in FIG. 1.

A conductor ring 132, which is arranged to surround the wafer 109 or thewafer placement surface of the dielectric film of the upper surface ofthe base material 131 and is made of metal, is arranged inside thesusceptor 113 according to the present embodiment, and is electricallyconnected with a high-frequency power source 127 via a matching device128 and a load impedance variable box 130. The high-frequency powerhaving a predetermined frequency generated from the high-frequency powersource 127 is introduced to the conductor ring 132 to form the potentialabove the upper surface thereof between the plasma 116 and the uppersurface.

Incidentally, a supply path between the high-frequency power source 127and the conductor ring 132 is arranged at a different location from asupply path between the high-frequency power source 124 and theconductor film 111 in the dielectric film in the example of FIG. 1.Instead of such a configuration, a configuration may be provided, asillustrated in FIG. 2, in which a supply path, which is branched betweenthe matching device 129 and the conductor film 111 on the supply pathelectrically connecting the conductor film 111 and the high-frequencypower source 124 via the matching device 129 and sets the conductor ring132 to be electrically connected via the load impedance variable box130, is arranged and the high-frequency power is introduced to theconductor ring 132.

FIG. 2 is FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematicallyillustrating an outline of a configuration of a modified example of theplasma processing apparatus according to an embodiment illustrated inFIG. 1. The modified example of FIG. 2 has a difference in configurationfrom the embodiment of FIG. 1 in terms of the configuration of the powersupply path of the high-frequency power regarding the conductor ring132, but is the same as the embodiment of FIG. 1 regarding the otherconfigurations, and thus, the description thereof, will be omitted.

In the examples illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, it is possible to apply ahigh frequency to a region on the outer peripheral side of the wafer 109and draw the charged particles such as ions in the plasma 116 toward theouter peripheral side of the wafer 109 by decreasing a magnitude of theimpedance from the high-frequency power source 127 to the outerperipheral portion of the wafer 109 through combination of the loadimpedance variable box 130 and a high impedance portion to be arrangedin the upper part of the susceptor 113 made of the dielectric.Accordingly, the concentration of the electric field in the outerperipheral edge portion of the wafer 109 is suppressed. It is preferablethat the frequency of the high-frequency power source 127 be the same asor a constant multiple of a frequency of the high-frequency power source124.

A configuration of the load impedance variable box 130 will be describedwith reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional viewschematically illustrating a configuration of the part on the outerperipheral side of the sample stage according to the embodimentillustrated in FIG. 1 in an enlarged manner. FIG. 3 illustrates theconfiguration of the load impedance variable box 130 arranged on thepower supply path which is connected to the conductor ring 132 arrangedinside the susceptor 113.

A sheath portion having capacitance is present between the conductorring 132 inside the susceptor 113 and the wafer 109 in a state in whichthe plasma 116 is formed. On consideration of a circuit of thehigh-frequency power including the conductor ring 132, the capacitancebetween the conductor ring 132 and the outer peripheral edge of thewafer 109 will be conveniently expressed by a capacitor 300.

In the present embodiment, the impedance on an equivalent circuit isreduced when a series resonance is generated on the equivalent circuitincluding the capacitor 300 which is a capacitance component byadjusting an inductance of a variable coil 133, arranged inside the loadimpedance variable box 130, to a suitable value. According to thisconfiguration, it is possible to efficiency supply the high-frequencypower from the high-frequency power source 127 to the wafer 109, and toform the bias potential.

In addition, a variable resistance 135 is further arranged between thevariable coil 133 and the high-frequency power source 127 in the loadimpedance variable box 130, and it is possible to lower a Q value thatmitigates a peak value of the series resonance by adjusting a resistancevalue of the variable resistance 135, and thus, it is possible toupgrade controllability. That is, it is possible to enhance controlrobustness as illustrated in FIG. 19.

FIG. 15 is a graph schematically illustrating a result to be obtained byincreasing or decreasing the resistance value of the variable resistanceinside the load impedance variable box 130 illustrated in FIG. 3. Inaddition, the capacitance of the capacitor 300 is transitionally changedaccording to the wear of the susceptor caused by the plasma, and thus, avariable capacitor 134 of which capacitance can be varied may bearranged in the load impedance variable box 130 between the variableresistance 135 and the high-frequency power source 127 so as to correctsuch the change.

Further, it is possible to arrange a voltage monitor 136, which is asensor to detect a voltage of a voltmeter or the like electricallyconnected to the power supply path, in the load impedance variable box130, and to detect a variation of a load on the circuit of thehigh-frequency power passing through the plasma 116 from thehigh-frequency power source 127 using the detected voltage.Alternatively, it is possible to indirectly detect a change of the loadfrom an initial stage at which the susceptor 113 is first used from aresult of detecting a matching constant (for example, a capacitancevalue of the variable coil) inside the matching device 128 or a resultof detecting the voltage value using the voltage monitor 138.Accordingly, it is possible to estimate the wear amount of the susceptor113 from the initial stage.

In addition, the load impedance variable box 130 illustrated in FIG. 3may be arranged on the supply path which is branched and connected tothe conductor ring 132 as illustrated in FIG. 2. Since the impedanceseen from the high-frequency power source 124 on the power supply pathto supply the high-frequency power to the conductor film 111 is seen tobe relatively low as compared to the case of FIG. 3 as the power supplypath is connected to the conductor ring 132 in parallel in this case,there is a risk that a high-frequency voltage to be formed on theconductor film 111 drops and the processing speed (rate) of the wafer109 drops.

In order to prevent the risk, a voltage monitor 137 may be arrangedinside the load matching device 129 so as to adjust the impedance or thematching constant of the load matching device 129 such that the detectedvoltage value becomes a target value with which an intendedcharacteristic such as the processing rate can be realized. In addition,a clock generator 220 is electrically connected to the high-frequencypower sources 124 and 127 as illustrated in FIG. 4 in order to generatea signal of power to be synchronously generated by the high-frequencypower sources 124 and 127, and the signal such as a pulse or a squarewave is periodically output from the clock generator 220 to these powersources such that a period of the power to be oscillated in therespective power sources is output while being synchronized between thepower sources, thereby suppressing a beat signal generated by beinginterfered via the wafer 106.

Although the above-described embodiment illustrates the configuration inwhich the high-frequency power from the high-frequency power source 124and the DC power from the DC power source 126 are supplied to theconductor film 111 in the dielectric film, a configuration may beprovided in which power from each of the power sources is supplied toeach of different conductor films arranged at different locations insidea dielectric film arranged on the upper surface of the base material131. For example, a configuration may be provided in which a conductorfilm to which the DC power for electrostatic adsorption is supplied isarranged on an upper side in a dielectric film to be formed by thermalspraying of particles of a dielectric material, and a differentconductor film to which the high-frequency power is supplied is arrangedon a lower side in the dielectric film. Such a configuration may also beprovided with the configuration in which the clock generator 220illustrated in FIG. 4 is provided to transmit the signal forsynchronization of output to the two high-frequency power sources 124and 127.

Next, the configuration of the susceptor 113 according to theabove-described embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5to 7C. FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematicallyillustrating a configuration of the upper part of the susceptoraccording to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 in an enlarged manner.FIGS. 6A and 6B are vertical cross-sectional views schematicallyillustrating action of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5. FIGS. 7A to7C are vertical cross-sectional views schematically illustrating aconfiguration of the upper part of the susceptor according to a modifiedexample of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5.

In FIG. 5, the susceptor 113 according to the present embodiment isconfigured of a plurality of members vertically arranged, an uppersusceptor 151 to be arranged on an upper side is a ring-shaped membermade of a dielectric, and is arranged on the upper side to cover aring-shaped lower susceptor 150, placed and arranged on an upper side ofthe recessed portion arranged in the ring shape in the upperouter-periphery-side part of the base material 131, and the upper sideof the conductor ring 132 placed on the upper surface of the lowersusceptor 150. In the present embodiment, it is possible to generate anion sheath 160 by allowing a high-frequency bias potential, generated bythe high-frequency power to be supplied from the second high-frequencypower source 127 to the conductor ring 132, to pass through the insideof the upper susceptor 151 and be efficiency formed above an uppersurface of the upper susceptor 151 according to such a configuration.

According to the ion sheath 160, formation of a sheath having a peculiarshape due to the electric field the concentration generated at the outerperipheral edge of the wafer 106 occurring in the conventional techniqueis suppressed, and the equipotential surface to be formed inside thesheath 160 has a reduced portion which is not parallel to the uppersurface of the wafer 106 in the part on the outer peripheral side of thewafer 106. In this manner, a range in which an angle at which the ion isincident to the wafer 106 becomes a desired angle, for example, aperpendicular angle is further extended to an outer peripheral end, andit is possible to reduce the variation in characteristic of theprocessing of the wafer 106, for example, the etching rate with respectto the in-plane direction of the wafer 106.

In addition, the upper susceptor 151 needs to have a sufficientthickness such that the high-frequency power is not applied to the lowersusceptor 150 side. In the present embodiment, a thickness on theconductor ring of the upper susceptor 151 is set to be a value in arange of 1 to 3 mm, and a thickness of the lower susceptor 150 on thelower side of the conductor ring 132 is set to be a value in a range of3 to 10 mm. Such a magnitude relation of thickness is desirablyconfigured such that a distance between the conductor ring 132 and theplasma sheath 160, with the upper susceptor 151 interposed therebetween,is smaller than a distance between the conductor ring 132 and the basematerial 131 in the lower susceptor 150.

An operation principle of the configuration illustrated in FIG. 5 willbe described with reference to FIGS. 16A and 16B. FIGS. 16A and 16B arevertical cross-sectional views schematically illustrating the action tobe exerted by the configuration of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5.

FIG. 16A schematically illustrates a configuration of the upper part ofthe susceptor 113 according to the present embodiment in an enlargedmanner as a longitudinal section. In the equivalent circuit according tothe configuration of FIG. 16A, a path 1 and a path 2, indicated byarrows in FIG. 16A, are considered as the path in which thehigh-frequency power to be supplied from the second high-frequency powersource 127 to the conductor ring 132 flows FIG. 16B schematicallyillustrates a relation between a voltage VLc of the variable coil 133 inthe embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5 and a voltage value V1 to bedetected by the output of the voltage monitor 136 using a graph. FIG.16B illustrates the correlation regarding each of the path 1 and thepath 2.

It is preferable that the power to be transferred to the path 2 be lowin terms of enhancing the efficiency of the power to be supplied tocause the ion in the plasma to be attracted to the wafer 106. Thus, adifference VL12 between a value of VLc at a resonance point in the path2 and a value at a resonance point in the path 1 is set to be largerthan a value VL11 of VLc at a resonance point of the path 1 in thepresent embodiment.

Accordingly, it is possible to set a proportion of the power to besupplied to the path 2 to be small with a degree that can besubstantially ignored in controlling the path 1. In the presentembodiment, each material forming an electrostatic capacitance C1 and anelectrostatic capacitance C2 and a dimension such as a thickness or awidth of each shape thereof are selected to set the electrostaticcapacitance C2 provided in the lower susceptor 150 in the path 2 to besufficiently low while setting the electrostatic capacitance C1 providedin the upper susceptor 151 in the path 1 on the equivalent circuit to besufficiently high in order to realize the above-described condition ofVL12>VL11. In this state, VLc is adjusted depending on the value of C1detected by a control device 180 to be described later to be a value ina predetermined tolerance range with which an intended thickness and aregion of the sheath 160 can be obtained in a region in which V1 of thepath 1 of FIG. 16B is monotonically increased with respect to a changein VLc.

Further, a configuration is provided in which a clearance 155 isarranged between the lower susceptor 150 and the upper susceptor 151,and the transfer of energy is performed between the sheath 160 and theconductor ring 132 made of metal. However, there is a risk that thecharged particles in the plasma 116 formed in the processing chamber 104or particles with increased reactivity such as active species enter theclearance 155, and interact with a wall surface of the memberconfiguring the clearance 115 when an end portion of the clearance 155faces and communicates with the processing chamber 104.

With respect to such a problem, a conductor film 153′ made of metal maybe arranged inside the insulator ring 153 configured using ceramics suchas quartz, alumina, and yttria, instead of the conductor ring 132 madeof metal illustrated in FIG. 5, as in the modified example illustratedin FIG. 6A. According to this configuration, the contact between theconductor ring 132 made of metal and the plasma 116 is reduced, and thecontamination of the wafer 106 due to the product generated by theinteraction therebetween is suppressed. Since it is possible toefficiently perform the energy transfer to the upper susceptor 151 sideby setting the impedance to the lower susceptor 150 to be relativelyhigh, and the clearance 155 is configured to be surrounded by a membermade of an insulator or a dielectric, the generation of contamination ofmetal of the wafer 106 due to the interaction between the conductor ring132 and the plasma 116 is suppressed.

Still further, a clearance 210 may be arranged between the lower surfaceof the upper susceptor 151 and the upper surface of the insulator ring153 with the conductor film arranged therein as illustrated in FIG. 6Bin order to raise the controllability of the thickness or distributionof the sheath 160 with respect to the supplied power, or thecharacteristic of the processing to be obtained. This example includes aconfiguration in which a side wall surface on an inner peripheral side,a side wall surface on an outer peripheral side and the upper surface ofthe insulator ring 153 are covered in a state in which the uppersusceptor 151 is placed on the lower susceptor 150, and the insulatorring 153 is suppressed form facing the plasma, and it is possible toshield the metal film from the plasma. In this example, the clearance ofthe space 210 is set by being selected from a range of 0.01 to 1 mm.

Next, a description will be given regarding a mode of control of thepower to be supplied to the conductor ring 132 of the plasma processingapparatus according to the present embodiment, and action and an effectthereof with reference to FIGS. 7A to 12. FIGS. 7A to 7C are verticalcross-sectional views schematically illustrating the action exerted inthe vicinity of the outer peripheral edge of the wafer including thesusceptor according to the modified example illustrated in FIG. 6.

FIG. 7A is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically illustrating aconfiguration in the vicinity of the outer peripheral edge of the wafer106 including the susceptor 113 of the conventional technique in whichthe conductor ring 132 includes the upper susceptor 151 and the lowersusceptor 150 which are not arranged in the inner side of the conductorring 132 in an enlarged manner. As illustrated in FIG. 7A, it is foundout that this conventional technique has a configuration in which thesheath 160 of the upper side of the upper surface of the upper susceptor151 on the outer peripheral portion of the wafer 106 is limited to aperimeter of an outer peripheral edge including the upper surface of thewafer 106, an upper side of an inclined surface forming the part havingthe ring shape on the inner peripheral side of the upper susceptor 151,and a lower surface of an overhanging portion included in the wafer 106protruding from the base material 131, and the ions formed in the plasma116 collide with the wafer 106 along an orbit 161 inclined from theouter peripheral side toward the center side in the outer peripheraledge portion of the wafer 106 and are concentrated on the correspondingportion.

FIG. 7B is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically illustrating aconfiguration of the sheath 160 generated in the modified example inwhich the high-frequency power with a predetermined frequency issupplied via the resonant circuit arranged in the load impedancevariable box 130 from the second high-frequency bias power source 127 tothe conductor film enclosed by the insulator ring 153 illustrated inFIG. 6B. As illustrated in FIG. 6B, an AC voltage subducted to have anegative potential is generated in the upper side of the conductor filmon the upper surface of the upper susceptor 151, and the sheath 160having a thickness equal to or thicker than a predetermined value due toa large potential difference from the plasma with a positive potentialis formed in this example. Accordingly, the concentration of theelectric field generated in the outer peripheral edge of the wafer 106in the example of FIG. 7A or the drop of the sheath 160 as beingdirected in the outer peripheral side of the equipotential surface ismitigated, and the charged particles such as the ions are drawn to theouter peripheral side along the orbit 161 in a direction from the upperside toward the upper surface of the upper susceptor 151 outside thewafer 106 on the upper side of the outer peripheral edge of the wafer106, and the variation in characteristic of the processing such as theetching rate from the center portion to the outer peripheral edgeportion of the wafer 106 is suppressed.

FIG. 7C is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically illustrating aconfiguration of the sheath 160 to be generated in the susceptor whichis grounded via a resonant circuit including a variable coil 200 withoutincluding the second high-frequency power source 127 to supply thehigh-frequency power to the conductor film inside the insulator ring 153as compared to FIG. 7B. In this configuration, a potential on the uppersurface of the upper susceptor 151 is set to a ground potential, andthere is a small potential difference from a potential of the plasma116, and thus, the sheath 160 on the upper surface of the uppersusceptor 151 is hardly formed further than in the configurationillustrated in FIG. 7A, and the sheath 160 is limitedly grown in theperimeter of the outer peripheral edge portion including the uppersurface of the wafer 106 and the overhanging portion. Thus, the chargedparticles such as the ions in the plasma 116 are more easilyconcentrated on the outer peripheral edge portion of the wafer 106 inthe configuration of the present example, and thus, the characteristicof the processing of the wafer 106 in the vicinity of the outerperipheral edge portion is more greatly deviated from those in thecenter portion.

Examples of the above-described characteristic of the processing,particularly the etching rate in the respective configurationsillustrated in FIGS. 7A to 7C are illustrated in FIGS. 8A and 8B. FIGS.8A and 8B are graphs schematically illustrating distribution examples ofthe etching rate with respect to the radial direction of the uppersurface of the wafer 106 according to the embodiment illustrated in FIG.5 and the conventional technique.

The etching rate in the examples of FIGS. 7A and 7C is substantiallyconstant on the center side but increases in the part on the outerperipheral side as illustrated in FIG. 8A. On the other hand, in theexample of FIG. 7B, it is possible to adjust a thickness of the sheath160 or a height of the equipotential surface to be formed on the upperside of the upper surface of the upper susceptor 151 according to thevoltage value VLc of the variable coil 133, and a magnitude or afrequency value of the output from the second high-frequency powersource 127. The etching rate in the part on the outer peripheral side ofthe wafer 106 is formed to be a desired value between the distributionin which the etching rate increases in the region on the outerperipheral side as illustrated in FIG. 8A and the distribution in whichthe etching rate increases decreases as illustrated in FIG. 8B in thepresent embodiment in which the above-described adjustment is performed.

In addition, the above-described embodiment may be provided with aconfiguration in which it is possible to perform switch between thepower supply path in which the conductor film illustrated in FIG. 7B isconnected to the second high-frequency power source 127 via a circuit ofa variable RLC including the variable coil 133, and the path in whichthe conductor film illustrated in FIG. 7C is grounded via the variablecoil 200 using a switch 201 arranged inside the load impedance variablebox 130 as illustrated in FIG. 9 such that a wafer edge variable releasemode and a wafer edge access mode functioning according to therespective path can be switched.

A description will be given regarding a result of processing the wafer106 using the embodiment provided with the configuration illustrated inFIG. 5 or FIGS. 6A and 6B with reference to FIGS. 10A to 100. FIGS. 10Ato 100 are graphs illustrating detection results of the distribution ofthe etching rate with respect to the radial direction of the waferprocessed in the plasma processing apparatus according to the embodimentillustrated in FIG. 5 or FIGS. 6A and 6B.

This example illustrates the detection result regarding a plurality ofcases having different magnitudes of the high-frequency power for thebias formation with VLc=53 μH. Each left one of the graphs illustratedin FIGS. 10A to 10C is a graph illustrating the distribution of themagnitude of the etching rate from the center of the wafer 106 having adiameter of 300 mm to the outer peripheral edge, and each right graph isa graph illustrating the distribution of the magnitude of the etchingrate in the vicinity of the outer peripheral edge in the right end ofthe drawings.

FIG. 10A illustrates a case in which a high-frequency power of 200 W issupplied from the first high-frequency power source 124 to the conductorfilm 111 in the dielectric film arranged on the upper surface of theconvex portion of the base material 131, and further, a high-frequencypower of 0 W is supplied to the conductor ring 132 in the susceptor 113or the conductor film in the insulator ring 153 arranged on the outerperipheral side of the conductor film 111. FIG. 10B illustrates a resultof detecting the characteristic during the processing in a case in whicha high-frequency power of 200 W is supplied to the conductor film 111,and a high-frequency power of 20 W is supplied to the conductor ring 132in the susceptor 113 or the conductor film, and FIG. 100 illustrates aresult of detecting the characteristic during the processing in a casein which the each power of 200 W and 50 W is supplied.

As illustrated in FIGS. 10A to 10C, an etching rate in a region spacedapart from the outer peripheral edge of the wafer 106 by about 10 mm isincreased or decreased while being suppressed from affecting on the ratein the center-side part by adjusting the magnitude of the high-frequencypower to be supplied to the conductor ring 132 or the conductor film inthe insulator ring 153 via the load impedance variable box 130 includingthe variable coil 133 according to the present embodiment.

In addition, the inventors has detected the distribution of the etchingrate regarding a plurality of cases having the different voltage valuesVLc of the variable coil 133 with a constant magnitude of thehigh-frequency power for the bias formation. These cases also show thatit is possible to adjust the distribution of the etching rate in thepart on the outer peripheral side of the wafer 106 independently fromthat on the center portion side as similarly to the cases illustrated inFIGS. 10A to 10C. In addition, it is found out that is also possible torealize an etching shape, and particularly, an angle in a shape of aprocessed film structure to be a desired value, other than the etchingrate, as the characteristic of the processing, by the adjustment of thehigh-frequency power or the load impedance according to theabove-described embodiment.

Next, a description will be given regarding a configuration in which thehigh-frequency power source to be supplied from the secondhigh-frequency power source 127 to the susceptor 113 is adjusted withrespect to the wear amount of the susceptor 113 along with elapse oftime of processing the wafer 106 or an increase of the number of wafersin the above-described embodiment with reference to FIGS. 11A to 12.

The upper surface and a side surface on the outer peripheral side of theupper susceptor 151 face the plasma 116, and are members to be worn bybeing abraded or altered due to the interaction with the plasma. Thus,the shape of the sheath 160 is changed due to such wear, andaccordingly, the distribution of the characteristic of the processing ischanged.

For example, when the conductor ring 132 or a part on the upper side ofthe insulator ring 153 of the upper susceptor 151, which is thedielectric, is worn, and a thickness thereof is reduced, a value Cv ofan electrostatic capacitance 170 of the part with respect to thehigh-frequency power increases, and a potential on the upper surface ofthe upper susceptor 151 increases. Thus, a problem that the samecharacteristic of the processing is not realized occurs in a case inwhich the high-frequency power the same as the previous value issupplied to the conductor ring 132 or the conductor film in theinsulator ring 153 in a state in which the wear has occurred.

In order to solve such a problem, the present embodiment is configuredto detect information indicating the characteristic of the processingobtained in a predetermined location of the wafer 106, which serves as areference with respect to a change in the value Cv set in advance beforeinitiating the processing of the wafer 106 as a product to be processedin order to manufacture the semiconductor device, or obtained by beingaveraged in the in-plane direction, for example, the correlation withthe value of the etching rate, and allows the data to be stored in astorage device such as a hard disk, a RAM or a removable disk arrangedin a control device (not illustrated) as target data or reference datain a table or a database. FIGS. 11A and 11B are a verticalcross-sectional view schematically illustrating an outline of theconfiguration of the susceptor of the plasma processing apparatusaccording to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 and a graphschematically illustrating an example of a data table used by the plasmaprocessing apparatus.

The wafer 106 for obtaining the data serving as the reference is the onehaving a configuration, approximated to a degree that can be regarded tobe the same or equivalent to a wafer as a product, and with the filmstructure being arranged on the upper surface thereof, and the data isobtained in advance before initiating the processing of the wafer 106 asthe product by changing values of the voltage VLc of the variable coil133 in a plurality of apparatus specifications using the uppersusceptors 151 having different thicknesses. The data indicating acorrespondence between the electrostatic capacitance Cv of the uppersusceptor 151 and the value VLc, with which it is possible to obtain thetarget value of the characteristic of the processing, the distributionthereof, or the distribution of the processed shape, is extracted as atable from the values of the characteristic of the processing such asthe etching rate and the distribution thereof, or a relative relationbetween the distribution of the processed shape and the value VLcobtained during the processing or after the processing under therespective conditions. A plurality of the wafers 106 serving as thereference to be processed in order to extract such target data may beused.

In the present embodiment, the control device 180 calculates the VLc ora value Pf of the output from the second high-frequency power sourcebased on the information of the data table stored as the database, andtransmits a command signal as a value that needs to be set. The controldevice 180 is connected to the load impedance variable box 130 or thevariable coil 133 arranged in the load impedance variable box 130, andan element or a device such as the variable capacitor 134 and thevariable resistance 135 in a communicable manner, further connected tothe second high-frequency power source 127, the matching device 128, andthe voltage monitors 136 and 138 in a communicable manner, and includesan interface of a signal to be communicated, a RAM, the storage devicesuch as the hard disk, a computing unit such as a microprocessor made ofa semiconductor, and a communication path which is electricallyconnected the above-described members and through which the signal iscommunicated. Incidentally, the storage device is not necessarily storedinside a unit of the control device 180, but may be arranged in a remotelocation and connected in a communicable manner.

To be specific, the control device 180 detects an initial load in thepower supply path to which the high-frequency power for formation of thebias potential is supplied from the second high-frequency power source127 to the upper surface of the upper susceptor 151 before theinitiation of the processing and a impedance value Zs for apredetermined period during which the plasma processing apparatusaccording to the present embodiment is operated, and causes these valuesto be stored in the storage device forming the control device 180.Further, a load Zp of the power supply path detected before processingor during processing of an arbitrary ordinal number of the wafer 106 isdetected and compared with Zs that has been stored in the storage deviceZs, and accordingly, the electrostatic capacitance Cv between theconductor ring 132 or the conductor film on the power supply path andthe upper surface of the upper susceptor 151 or the plasma 116 with theinterposed upper susceptor 151.

To be specific, the computing unit of the control device detects areduced amount in thickness as the upper susceptor 151 is worn fromZs-Zp according to an algorithm of software recorded and stored inadvance in the storage device, and calculates a current value of Cvusing the detected value. The value VLc as the target is calculatedusing the calculated value Cv and the data table that has been stored inthe storage device. Further, a command to set an inductance of VLc to bethe calculated target value is transmitted to the variable coil 133 orthe element inside the load impedance variable box 130.

Although the data table indicating the corresponding relation betweenthe electrostatic capacitance value Cv on the equivalent circuit on thepower supply path with the interposed upper susceptor 151, and thevoltage value VLc of the variable coil 133 of the load impedancevariable box 130 is used in the examples of FIGS. 11A and 11B, dataindicating a relation between an output value V1 from the voltagemonitor 136 arranged to be connected to the power supply path betweenthe load impedance variable box 130 and the conductor ring 132 or theconductor film in the insulator ring 153, and the electrostaticcapacitance Cv may be used as illustrated in FIG. 12. FIG. 12 is a graphschematically illustrating another example of the data table used by theplasma processing apparatus according to the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 1.

In this example, the voltage value V1, which indirectly affects thecharacteristic of the processing such as the etching rate is changedwhen Cv is changed. Thus, similarly to the examples that have beendescribed in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the data indicating the characteristicof the processing obtained in a predetermined location of the wafer 106,which serves as the reference with respect to the change in the value Cvset in advance before initiating the processing of the wafer 106 as theproduct to be processed in order to manufacture the semiconductordevice, or obtained by being averaged in the in-plane direction, forexample, the correlation with the value V1 corresponding to the targetvalue of the etching rate is detected, and the data is stored in thestorage device such as the hard disk, the RAM or the removable diskarranged in the control device (not illustrated) as the target data orthe reference data in the table or the database.

Such detection of the data is implemented in advance before initiatingthe processing of the wafer 106 as the product in a plurality ofapparatus specifications using the upper susceptors 151 having differentthicknesses. The data indicating the correspondence between theelectrostatic capacitance Cv of the upper susceptor 151 and the valueV1, with which it is possible to obtain the target value of thecharacteristic of the processing, the distribution thereof, or thedistribution of the processed shape, is extracted as the table from thevalues of the characteristic of the processing such as the etching rateand the distribution thereof, or a relative relation between thedistribution of the processed shape and the value V1 obtained during theprocessing or after the processing under the respective conditions, andis stored as the data of the database.

The control device 180 receives the output from the voltage monitor 136,and transmits a command signal to the load impedance variable box 130 soas to change the voltage value VLc of the variable coil 133 in the loadimpedance variable box 130 to be a predetermined value of V1 with whichthe intended characteristic of the processing or the intended processedshape can be realized. The control device 180 may adjust the value V1 tobe constant in the processing of the wafer 106 as the product, furthercompare the initial load before or immediately after initiating theprocessing, that is, the impedance value Zs, and the load Zp of thepower supply path detected before processing or during processing of anarbitrary ordinal number of the wafer 106 so as to detect theelectrostatic capacitance Cv between the conductor ring 132 or theconductor film on the power supply path and the upper surface of theupper susceptor 151 or the plasma 116 with the interposed uppersusceptor 151 from the obtained value of Zs-Zp, calculate the value V1corresponding to the value Cv using the above-described data table, andimplement a feedback control of the load impedance variable box 130 tohave the calculated value as similarly to the examples in FIGS. 11A and11B.

Further, V1 is changed when a value Pf of the magnitude of thehigh-frequency power from the second high-frequency power source ischanged, but it is possible to realize the intended characteristic ofthe processing or the intended processed shape by adjusting the valueVLc such that a ratio V1/V2 between a voltage value V2, which isdetected from the output of the voltage monitor 136 arranged to beconnected to the power supply path between the load impedance variablebox 130 and the matching device 128, and V1 is in a predeterminedtolerance range of values, even in a case in which there is an increaseor a decrease in V1. In addition, it may be configured such that a valueof a ratio V1/V3 between a voltage value V3, which is detected from theoutput of the voltage monitor 137 arranged to be connected to the powersupply path between the conductor film 111 and the first high-frequencypower source 124, and V1 is adjusted such that a ratio between theetching rate in the center-side part of the upper surface of the wafer106 and the etching rate in the part on the outer peripheral sidebecomes a value in a predetermined tolerance range.

Still further, it is possible to adjust the voltage value VLc of thevariable coil 133 of the load impedance variable box 130 by detecting avalue A of current of the high-frequency power flowing the power supplypath between the load impedance variable box 130 and the conductor ring132 or the conductor film in the insulator ring 153, detecting a voltageinside the matching device 129, and setting a product therebetween to beconstant, or a value in a predetermined tolerance range. Meanwhile, theoutput value Pf from the second high-frequency power source 127 isadjusted to a value in the predetermined tolerance range, and theimpedance is matched corresponding to the change of the load in thematching device 129 in the present embodiment. It is because there is aninfluence that greatly affects the characteristic of the processing suchas the etching rate, or the processed shape, the influence to be appliedlocally on the part having the electrostatic capacitance value Cvbetween the conductor ring 132 or the conductor film and the plasma withthe upper susceptor 151 interposed therebetween when the product of thecurrent value A and the voltage value of the matching device 129 isadjusted to be constant.

Further, it is possible to adjust the etching rate of the outerperipheral edge portion of the wafer 106 using the increase or decreasein the thickness of the sheath 160 in the outer peripheral edge portionof the wafer 106 caused by the synergy between V3 and V1. That is, it isfound out that a relation between the amount of the etching rate to becorrected (a difference between a detected etching rate at an arbitrarytime during the processing and the target etching rate) and the amountof change of the voltage value V1 is as shown in the following formula(1) through the study of the inventors.ΔER=K×(V3×ΔV1)×Ks+B  (1)

Here, ΔER=a difference between a etching rate at an arbitrary timeduring the processing and the target etching rate, K=a proportionalityconstant, KS=a proportionality constant indicating a magnitude of theinfluence of V3 affecting on the thickness of the sheath 160, B=aconstant, ΔV1=a control amount for realizing the intended etching rateIn general, it is known that a constant multiplier of voltagecontributes on the thickness of the sheath 160, and this constantmultiplier is indicated by Ks.

According to the inventors, it is found out that the constant multiplier(V3×V1) for the correction of the etching rate in the outer peripheraledge portion of the wafer 106 is proportional to the correction amountof the etching rate as the result of the study. From the result, it ispossible to cause the etching rate value and the distribution thereof toapproach the target ones, or to reduce the deviation thereof, byobtaining the amount of change of V1 required for the control device 180using Formula (1) and controlling VLc and Pf of the high-frequency powersource 127 that allows realization of the amount of change of V1 inorder to obtain a correction amount of a desired etching rate.

Next, a description will be given regarding a user interface to bedisplayed when the user uses the plasma processing apparatus accordingto the present embodiment with reference to FIG. 13. FIG. 13 is adiagram illustrating an example of a screen to be displayed by a displaydevice provided in the plasma processing apparatus according to theembodiment illustrated in FIG. 1.

The user of the above-described embodiment switches a rate mode of thepart on the outer peripheral side between an automatic control and themanual control, and selects whether the rate of the part on the outerperipheral side of the wafer 106 is set to be lower than, higher than,or equal to the rate of the central portion in the auto mode using theuser interface as displayed in this manner. In addition, the auto modeis a system in which a susceptor replacement alarm is automaticallydisplayed at the time of reaching a wear limit of the susceptor when arate proportion thereof is set and the wear limit of the susceptor 113is set.

In addition, whether the rate in the region on the wafer outerperipheral side is set to be higher than, lower than, or equal to therate in the region on the center side is selected, and then theinductance value (the voltage value) VLc of the variable coil 133 isdirectly set to directly adjust VLc to be constant in the manual mode.In addition, it is possible to display the value Cv indicating the wearamount and a potential Vpp of the conductor ring 132 inside thesusceptor 113 on the monitor in both the auto mode and the manual modein the present embodiment.

Next, another modified example of the above-described embodiment will bedescribed with reference to FIG. 14. FIG. 14 is a verticalcross-sectional view schematically illustrating an outline of aconfiguration of another modified example regarding the vicinity of thesusceptor of the plasma processing apparatus according to the embodimentillustrated in FIG. 1.

In this example, a portion that is connected to the power supply path towhich high-frequency power from a third high-frequency power source 333is supplied via a matching device 332 is provided in a location betweenthe conductor ring 132 or the conductor film and the load impedancevariable box 130 on the power supply path between the secondhigh-frequency power source and the conductor ring 132 or the conductorfilm in the insulator ring 153. This connection portion is arrangedbetween a location to which the voltage monitor 136 is connected and theload impedance variable box 130.

In the present modified example, the high-frequency power of the thirdhigh-frequency power source 333 uses a frequency ten times or higherthan the frequency of the first or the second high-frequency powersource, and is configured such that the plasma can be generated in theprocessing chamber 104 using the power. That is, the impedance accordingto the value Cv of the electrostatic capacitance 170 becomes relativelylow, and thus, a second plasma 331 is generated on the part on the outerperipheral side of the wafer 106 and the upper side of the uppersusceptor 151 separately from the plasma 116 formed using the electricfield or the magnetic field supplied from the upper side of theprocessing chamber 104 according to such a configuration.

At this time, a voltage value VLc 133 of the variable coil 133 is set toan inductance value that can shut off the high-frequency power that hasbeen supplied from the third high-frequency power source 333 so as notto flow to the matching device 129 and the second high-frequency powersource 127.

The second plasma 331 is a plasma to be formed in the processing chamber104 from the upper side of the wafer 106, that is, the upper side of thecenter portion to the vicinity of the outer peripheral edge and theupper side of the upper susceptor 151 in the outer peripheral side, andan intensity or a density value and a distribution thereof are adjustedaccording to a configuration of any one or combination of theconfigurations of the above-described embodiment. According to such aconfiguration, the plasma processing apparatus of this example can setthe characteristic value of the processing such as the etching rate andthe distribution thereof, or the dimension of the processed shape thatcan be obtained after the processing and the variation thereof to be inan intended range in a wide range from the center portion of the uppersurface of the wafer 106 to the part on the outer peripheral side.

In addition, a configuration may be provided in which a conductor filmdivided into a plurality of regions in the in-plane direction isprovided instead of the conductor film 111 to which the power from thefirst high-frequency power source 124 is supplied in the above-describedembodiment, and a power supply path is electrically connected to theconductor film arranged in the region of the center side to supply thehigh-frequency power from the first high-frequency power source 124therethrough such that the high-frequency power for formation of theplasma from the third high-frequency power source 333 is supplied to aring-shaped conductor film on the outer peripheral side arranged insidea ring-shaped region on the outer peripheral side that surrounds theregion on the center side on the outer peripheral side through a powersupply path electrically connected thereto. The second plasma 331 isformed on the upper side of the part on the outer peripheral side of theupper surface of the wafer 106, the high-frequency power to be suppliedto the ring-shaped conductor film is also adjusted according to such aconfiguration, it is possible to adjust an intensity of the secondplasma or a density value and a distribution thereof to intended values,and to enhance the yield of the processing by reducing the variation inthe dimension of the processed shape, the characteristic value of theprocessing or the distribution thereof of the wafer 106.

Although the silicon oxide film is used as the etched material and thetetrafluoromethane gas, the oxygen gas or the trifluoro methane gas isused as the etching gas and the cleaning gas in the present embodiment,the same effect can be obtained using a polysilicon film, a photoresistfilm, an antireflection organic film, an anti-reflection inorganic film,an organic material, an inorganic material, the silicon oxide film, asilicon nitride oxide film, the silicon nitride film, a Low-k material,a High-k material, an amorphous carbon film, a Si substrate, the metalmaterial, and the like as the etched material other than the siliconoxide film.

Further, examples of the gas used for the etching include a chlorinegas, a hydrogen bromide gas, a tetrafluoromethane gas, atrifluoromethane, a difluoromethane, an argon gas, a helium gas, anoxygen gas, a nitrogen gas, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen,ammonia, propane octafluoride, nitrogen trifluoride, a sulfurhexafluoride gas, a methane gas, a silicon tetrafluoride gas, a silicontetrachloride gas, a helium gas, a neon gas, a krypton gas, a xenon gas,a radon gas, and the like.

Although the example of the plasma processing apparatus that performsthe etching process using the microwave ECR discharge has been describedin the above-described examples, the same action and effect can beexerted by applying the above-described configuration also in a plasmaprocessing apparatus of, for example, the plasma CVD apparatus, anashing apparatus, a surface modification apparatus, and the like thatuses another discharge (a magnetic field UHF discharge, a capacitivelycoupled discharge, an inductively coupled discharge, a magnetrondischarge, a surface wave excitation discharge, or a transfer-coupleddischarge).

What is claimed is:
 1. A plasma processing apparatus that processes awafer to be processed, which is placed on a surface of a sample stagearranged in a processing chamber inside a vacuum container, using aplasma formed in the processing chamber, the apparatus comprising: adielectric film which constitutes an upper surface of the sample stageon which the wafer is placed; a first electrode which is arranged insidethe sample stage below the upper surface of the sample stage and towhich a first high-frequency power is supplied during the processing; asecond electrode having a ring shape, and which is arranged on an upperportion of the sample stage surrounding an upper surface of the samplestage and an outer peripheral side thereof, and to which a second-highfrequency power is supplied from a second-high frequency power supplyvia a matching device and a load impedance variable box, and a seriesresonant circuit is formed on a power supply path between the secondelectrode and the second-high frequency power supply, the seriesresonant circuit being configured to include a coil and a capacitance inseries; a ring-shaped dielectric cover which is constituted by adielectric material and arranged surrounding the upper surface of thesample stage and covering the second electrode; and a control unitconfigured to adjust the supply of the first and second high-frequencypowers, wherein the control device is configured to adjust the supply ofthe second high-frequency power by adjusting an inductance of the coilusing a result of a first voltage detected in a first location betweenthe coil and the second electrode on the power supply path, and whereinthe coil is part of the load impedance variable box, and the capacitanceis between the wafer and the ring-shaped dielectric cover.
 2. The plasmaprocessing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control deviceadjusts the supply of the second high-frequency power by detecting thefirst voltage in the first location between the coil and the secondelectrode on the power supply path and a second voltage in a secondlocation between the coil and the matching device on the power supplypath, and adjusting the inductance of the coil such that a ratio betweenthe first and second voltages is set to be a value in a predeterminedtolerance range, the matching device being disposed between the secondhigh frequency power supply and the load impedance variable box.